Improvement in revolving blackboards



UNITED S'rirrns.v

PATENT OFFICE.

COMFORT Lrox, OF BUFFALO, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING BLACKBOARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,212, dated November 4, 1873; application tiled October 2, 1873.

To all 'whom yit may concern:

Be it known that I, COMFORT B. LYON, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Blackboards, of which the following is a specilication:

My invention relates to that class of blackboards in which a series of boards, usually four, are hinged around a central standard. These f boards have heretofore been pivoted at their My invention consists, irst, in pivoting the leaves of the board at the central point of the upper and lower edges thereof, so that either face of any one of the boards can be arranged with either face of any adjacent board and form one continuous board or extended surface for use, as may be required; second, in the combination, with the pivoted boards and supporting arms or bearings thereof, of a tie-rod connecting the two arms, by means of which the ends of the arms or points of pivoting can be made to clamp or press against the edges of the boards with suficient force to hold them in place while being operated upon third, in the construction and arrangement of aflan ged plate for securing the head of the pivot-bolt to the edge of the board; fourth, in the particular means for securing and supporting the lower end of the standard; fifth, in the combination, with a central standard, of a series of pivoted blackboards having the lateral edges of cach alternate board roimded, while the corresponding edges of the other boards are grooved to engage and lock with the rounded ends of the idjacent board/s when the two a-re brought in In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved blackboard 5 Fi 2, a plan thereof; Fi 3, a sectional fragmentary view, showing the manner of securing the foot of the standard. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views, representing the manner of constructingV the frame of the boards so as toallow them to contract and expand. Fig. 6 is a detached view, showing the manner of securing the pivot-bolt to the edge of the boards.

Like letters show like parts in all the gures. A is a central standard 5 B, the four separate leaves or boards, which are pivoted between the ends of the two sets of arms, C G', which are secured to and project laterally from the upright central standard. d d are the tie-rods connecting each pair of these upper and lower supporting-arms. c are the pivot-pins, passing vertically through the end of the arms G C', and into the upper and lower edges of the board. Bearing-blocks f, of wood or metal, may be interposed between the ends of the arms and edges of the boards at the point where they are pivoted, as represented in the drawings. The pivot may also consist of a bolt, g, the head of which is secured to the edge of the board by means of a flanged plate, h., overlapping the edges of the boards and riveted thereto, the bolt passing through a hole in said plate, while the end of the bolt extends through the arms and is secured by a nut and rubber washer, g1 g2, as shown in Fig. 6. The

lower end of the standard ts'in a socket of -the base D, and is secured in place therein by a screw, j, passing lupward through the base into a nut, j', secured in or to the end of the standard. The standard may be allowed to turn in the base D, if required, or it may be permanently or rigidly secured thereto, the whole board in the latter case being readily turned around when required by means of the casters under the base D. The standard isfurther supported by means of a collar, i, loosely tting thereon, and braces 7c connecting the same with the base, as clearly shown.

Toallow for the contraction and expansion.

of the boards l it the same in grooved frames, the upper portion, l, thereof being provided with a groove of suficient depth to allow the contraction and expansion to take place therein without allowing any crack or joint to be exposed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. If desired, two of the opposite arms, C C', of the upper and lower set may be hinged to the standard,

so as to fold alongside of the adjacent arms, and thus occupy less space when the board is stowed away or not required for use.

I prefer to round the lateral edges of two of the opposite boards,while the edges ofthe other two boards are `made with shallow grooves therein, so as to form a joint or lock when the Yedges of any two of the boards are brought together.

Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with a central standard and supporting-arms or their equivalent', of a series of blackboards, B, pivoted at the center of the upper and lower edges thereof, so that either end of any one of the boards can be arranged in conjunction with either end of any adjacent board, and thereby form one continuous surface, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the pivoted boards B and supporting-arms C Cf, of the tic-rods d, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbcfore set forth.

3. The combination, with the supportingarms and boards C B, of the pivot-bolt g and flanged plate h, as and for'the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination, with the standardA and socketed base D, of the screw j and collar and braces t' k, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, with a central standard, of a series of pivoted blackboards, B, when the lateral or abutting edges are rounded and grooved so as to lock together, as herein shown. and described.

('1. B. LYON.

Witnesses JN0. J. BoNNnn, HENRY H. PERRINE. 

